Here we are again, friends. Welcome to the 4th Annual Blog Cookie Exchange! If you’re new, here are the basics for participating in the exchange:
Favorite holiday recipes
Special traditions
Favorite gift to give
What you wear when you don your gay apparel 🙂
But really, you can write or post pix of anything that tells us how you celebrate the holidays, or your favorite memories, or your wishiest wishes or scroogiest bitches.
Thanks to hand and arm trouble from WTF Disease, I’m afraid I’m not the hostess I once was, but you are most welcome to share all that I have managed to pull together.
Susie’s Cookie Q and A
Q: Seriously, could these cookies BE any cuter?
A: No.
Nor could they be any easier. These days I am all about the rather impressive, but really, really easy. Like these reindeer cookies. Here’s how we roll:
Take a roll of store-bought cookie dough — sugar, peanut butter or ginger bread, and add 1/4 cup of flour (to make it roll out easier), and roll it out to about 1/4″ thickness.
Cut out the reindeer head shapes, using a bell-shaped cookie cutter. (An upside down heart-shape would work fine, too, don’t you think? OR, shape the long roll into a three-sided cylinder — kinda pyramiddy — and then cut it into 1/4″ slices.)
Use mini-pretzels for antlers.
Use M&Ms or chocolate chips for eyes.
Use M&Ms or Red Hots for a nose.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
Eat.
And I know I’ve shown you this before, but I don’t think I’ve told you how to prepare it:
The Fascinating Pinecone Cheeseball
1 (8-ounce) container garden vegetable cream cheese*
1 (8-ounce) container roasted garlic cream cheese**
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 scallions, finely chopped (use both white and green parts)
2 cups pecan halves, toasted
Fresh rosemary sprigs (or sprig of pine)
Stir together first 4 ingredients. Shape into an oval (pinecone shape); chill 2 hours.
Arrange pecan halves over cheese oval, pressing in lightly in overlapping rows, beginning at bottom and working upward. Arrange rosemary sprigs at top of pinecone. Serve with crackers.
*If Garden Vegetable cream cheese is not available, may use plain cream cheese with ½ packet of Knorr vegetable soup mix.
**If Roasted Garlic cream cheese is not available, may use plain cream cheese mixed with 2-3 cloves of crushed, roasted garlic.
***********
We were invited this year to join a long-standing tradition of some distant friends of ours.
“distant friends”= we really like them, and think we would like them even better if we got to know them more, and they seem to feel the same about us, but we don’t see them enough for that.
Their tradition is a Carol Party. You take a small house, fill it with friendly people, a few of whom have actual musical talent, the rest of whom like to hang around people with actual musical talent (I belong to the latter group), add a couple of guitars, a keyboard, an impressive variety of percussion instruments and a box of kazoos, plus some drinks and cookies and a bunch of photocopied Christmas song lyrics, and there you go. It really was fun. Until they got to “O Holy Night.”
That is (or was) my favorite carol. I know people make fun of it, but doggonit, I like it. Even — or especially — the “fall on your knees” part. When the orchestra swells, and the choir goes all forte — it’s thrilling. And it’s real. I mean, think about what they’re singing about. If you were THERE, back in the day, and you saw that amazing star, and then you saw and heard a bunch of angels (ANGELS!) up in the sky singing at you . . . are you gonna tell me that wouldn’t knock you right on your ass? OK, then. But they can’t really put “knock you on your ass” in a church song, now can they? So, yea, fall on your knees indeed.
Back to the party. When it came time for “O Holy Night,” the host says all the men have to get together. So it’s men in the dining room, and women in the adjacent living room, and we start to sing. But, as is the tradition at this party, the men put their arms around each other and do a can-can to this song. (Except Jif was new, and never having been part of an all-male line-dancing holiday revue, he thought they were trying to do the Munchkins’ Lollipop Guild dance from the Wizard of Oz, so his moves were a little. . . spastic.) And then, at the “fall on your knees” part, they all did. And it just continued to deteriorate from there. Not pretty. Nor festive.
So, I don’t know, I may need a new favorite Christmas song: this one would be a contender. I really love it.
My favorite gift to give this year is a toffee apple, from here. I had hoped to post photos, but we’re slow here, so they won’t be in our possession until this evening. Maybe I’ll slip a photo in later. One of my students gave me one of Lisa Anne’s toffee apples last year, and it was so amazing we went right out and bought a few to give as gifts. This year, we’re buying a few more. The thing is, I’m not a big apple person. And I really don’t like candied apples — waste of a perfectly good fruit and perfectly good candy, I would have said. But Lisa Anne converted me. Huge, tart apple covered in high quality caramel, toffee . . . YUM. And the large size, I unapologetically gave one to a family of seven, and they each had a dessert slice and some left over. The coating is so thick and rich, just a little goes a long way. So, yea, I think you’d like them.
This might be a good place to say thank you to everyone who reads here, comments here, and to those who write on your own blogs. Just a few years ago, I was a big internet cynic. I did not trust that enough people were real enough on the internet. And yes, since I have trusted cyberpeople, I’ve gotten scorched a time or two, but mostly I am thrilled and delighted by how much more of life I have learned, that I could not have learned, had I not met you all online. You make my life richer. You even help me like myself more. You make a horrid illness easier to laugh through. And now you make me cry a little. In a good way.
Merry Christmas, dear friends.
Now gimme some cookies!
If you have a blog, I hope you’ll invite us in for your holiday post (and if today isn’t good, put it up when you can, we’re easy like that). Leave a comment to let us know, and please, visit the people who leave comments. If you don’t have a blog, share your holidaying here in the comments.
I brought Booze.
william, I was counting on it 😉
Wooo!! HI WILLIAM! So, you brought booze… may I?
Susie, those cookies are fabulously cute! Adorable!!
Listen, I only have a moment before I have to get back to addressing 9 million (give or take) employee Christmas cards and then decorating for our holiday luncheon here today, but I wanted to stop by real quick, say a quick “Howdy do!”, grab a cookie or five and some of the booze William brought.
I will be back later with my contribution. In the meantime, *kisses!*, thanks for the cookies! Love you! TTFN!
Booze please! I’ll take a little whisky to go in my coffee this morning 🙂 I will return with my contribution in a bit too. In the meantime I am noshing on a Panera gingerbread bagel and I brought some to share 🙂
William, it is 9-freakin’AM in the well, AM. Although since I just finished shoveling 5 inches of snow, a little schnapps and hot cocoa would be quite nice.
Bartender!!
OGal does not bake well, that’s what best friends are for, but I promised tuneage, so here you go:
http://classicalmusicbroadcast.com/index.php
We do holiday carols of the extremely traditional variety, mixed in with the regular stuff.
Susie, just for you, at exactly 12 noon EST – a lovely rendition of O Holy Night if you tune in to the station. Because you said FORTE.
And in its proper context, which means I love you more than I thought I could, since I love you lots already.
🙂
sorry for the blog post here.
Susie – I just left a big monster post – did WordPress eat it?
I’ve got booze over at my place too! Stop on by.
For the record, Susie, I really love O Holy Night too (though I imagine you’re big on the Aaron Neville version, and I think that one’s just okay). And before today I never thought much about the fall on your knees part. But I do fall on my ass on a regular basis.
I might just have to try sending one of those apples–they look yummy!
Wishing you, Jif, and LG the merriest of Christmases!
ck, you and those damned cards. DO THEY NEVER END??!! That’s it. I’m writing to your boss. In black ink on black paper.
mainlinemom, a gingerbread bagel? I didn’t know…I’m going to find a Panera in the very near future.
operagal, oh, thank you SO much. I will do my very best to be there at high noon.
shawkey, I was just at your place! I’ll be back, too. And you know, perhaps surprisingly, Aaron’s is not my favorite version. I prefer a choir on that one. Go figure. I, too, fall on my ass. Well, and my knees. And shoulders. Head. I could write one helluva carol, huh?
Merry Christmas to you and yours, too, my friend.
Oh yeah, definititely O Holy Night is one of my FAVES. I would be just as disheartened as you if people made fun of it.
Yeah so Panera, limited time only, there’s one outside the White Marsh mall in MD, not sure how far that is from you but I’ve eaten there many a time.
mainlinemom, thanks, but White Marsh is way on the other side of the city. I’m sure there’s one closer, and I will get some of those babies.
TO GIVE CREDIT, FYI, the reindeer cookies can be found many places, in many variations online, so not sure whom to credit for them; the Pinecone Cheeseball was adapted from an old Southern Living magazine recipe.
Ok so I posted a bit about Christmas at my house (well, eating and decorating really) over on my blog.
http://waterwatereverywhere.blogspot.com/
CK: Seriously with the cards. Your boss is getting coal.
Susie, thank you SO much for these reindeer cookies. Poifect for the cookie exchange I am having on Friday with the 8-year-old’s friends.
My computer is acting quite rude today, but I will leave a quick recipe I found (for said party) that looks too easy to be good, but someone will have to let me know as I have yet to get to the store.
And I will be grabbing some of the Booze before I leave. Merry Christmas everyone!!!!
35 graham crackers
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Place crackers on ungreased 10 x 15 sheet cake pan, covering bottom.
Bring sugar, margarine and cream of tartar to a boil. Add nuts. Pour mixture oven the top of the crackers.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, and remove from pan while still warm.
I am slightly disappointed that you did not make Sausage Gravy and biscuits.
Your reindeer cookies are delightful.
http://akawest.blogspot.com/2008/12/pillsbury-rocks.html
I have posted a recipes for what will be eating on Christmas morning.
I don’t have a blog but I’m a forever lurker and after 3 years of lurking from the corner by the punchbowl, I’m joining the party 🙂
2 things…Susie, if you love Oh Holy Night, you need to hear Martina McBride’s version…gives me shivers!
2nd thing…a cookie recipe!
Whipped Shortbread (these melt in your mouth!)
1 cup of butter (Not margarine) at room temp
1/2 cup of icing sugar
1 1/2 cups of flour
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and beat for 10 minutes. (yes, 10 minutes, that’s the important part!) Drop from small spoon onto cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces if you wish. Bake at 350 F. for about 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. makes about 3 dozen small cookies.
This recipe doubles (or triples if you have the time!) well.
Happy Holidays everyone!!
I actually have a party post started…was going to finish it up last night, give it that night-before-it’s-due scramble, which is when I do my best work, and wouldn’t you know – came home to cable, internet, and phone outage. I’m determined to have it up sometime today (“have it up” huh huh huh huh), so I’ll let you know.
And “O Holy Night” – I can’t think of it anymore without picturing Cartman singing it.
thank you BFE – now I can’t get Cartman out of my head!
Susie, I have 4 versions, they will all play in a row for you – it may make my regular listeners scratch their heads, but what the hell…
I have another recipe to add…it falls under the “traditions” part of Christmas…my grandma always made this on Christmas morning…she passed away last year and when I saw the recipe a couple of days ago I actually cried. Dork! Anywho…I’ll be making it this year for my family 🙂
Christmas Morning Wife Saver
Ingredients:
16 slices white bread, crusts
removed
16 slices Canadian back bacon or
ham
16 slices sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. pepper 2 mL
1/2-1 tsp. dry mustard 2-5 mL
1/4 cup minced onion 60 mL
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 60mL
1-2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 5-10 mL
3 cups milk 750 mL
dash Tabasco
1/2 cup butter 125 mL
Special K or crushed Corn Flakes
Instructions:
Set 8 pieces of bread into a 9″ x 13″ (23 x 33 cm) buttered, glass baking dish. Cover bread with slices of back bacon. Lay slices of cheddar cheese on top of bacon and then cover with remaining slices of bread to make it like a sandwich. In a bowl, beat eggs and pepper. To the egg mixture add dry mustard, onion, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, milk and Tabasco. Pour over the sandwiches, cover and let stand in fridge overnight.
In morning, melt butter, pour over top. Cover with Special K or crushed Corn Flakes. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour at 350 deg.F (180 deg.C). Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
OK, I didn’t post today because we’re making a trip over th passes to Seattle, and it’s snowing like a mofo and I’m out of time. But I have hope that I will post before Christmas is over.
I thought I’d make time to stop by your lovely party and say howdy before I hit the road though. Also, to say Merry Christmas or whatever other event everyone’s celebrating. Also-also, if Bill keeps drinking you’re going to have a problem over by the pinecone cheese ball, because his face is seriously close to falling right in. (The cheese ball, btw, is very pretty… until Bill falls in, that is. I’ll stop by later to drive him home.)
Reindeer cookies? Genius! SO CUTE!
Now, stop crying. It’s a party!
Working on my post. It’s lame as it’s all stuff from past years, but I want to participate. It’s just too much fun.
I know you’ve called folks on the internet “imaginary”. Maybe the better phrase would be “distant but in my heart”. That’s the way I feel, anyway. 🙂
Love ya sis! xoxoxo
Okay, I done did it. There’s a party at my place, but watch out for roofies.
http://bucky4eyes.blogspot.com/2008/12/wholesome-for-wholidays.html
Shari,
I appreciate the offer for the ride home but I just want you know that I am not drunk. I have not had a drink all day.
I am just dunking the reindeer cookies into my Spiked Eggnog (no it is not waterboarding) and eating the cookies. I have had about 100 of them.
I wont drink until Bucky starts doing body shots.
I’m always ready for body shots (unless I’m visiting the leper colony).
Here I am, with 3 bottles of White Zin to share (aka, Kool Aid for adults)…
Sorry I’m late! I had to get the blower fixed on my minivan. (I’m already skeered of the comments THAT will get!) Now I have heat & defrost & AIR again. Whew! Who knew I was suffocating?
Anyhoodle, there’s plenty of coffee and spiked egg nog at my place. No one has taken me up on the margaritas yet. Speaking of which…. I’m impressed to find Bill is pacing himself this year! Maybe baby #3 is mellowing him out? Nah….
I’ll be making supper soon –you’re welcome to stay– it’s spaghetti night.
Oh, and Susie — those are incredibly CUTE cookies! I might just have to make those when my brother’s family comes to visit on the 26th.
so lets see – William wants to do eggnog body shots
Bucky is currently offering to be the alcohol buffet
kcinn has wine, a blower and a minivan.
I’m thinking the party has officially started.
I’m joining in! Alex and I shall share stories and pics and memories on Nick’s Bytes on Friday. OK?
Thanks for hosting this recipe swap. My contribution is a simple, but delicious one. Please visit my blog to see my homemade marshmallows… http://www.vintagesquirrel.blogspot.com
Hi everyone! I will admit that on first glance, I thought to myself, “Princess Leia reindeer?” I assure you this is a problem with me, not the cookies.
Susie, thanks for hosting. I brought you a gift….it’s lingerie, of sorts. For granny gazongas. 😉
wils, who is this “Booze” person you speak of that you brought to the party?! more importantly, is he single, nekkid, and cute? oh, heck, forget the cute…beggars can’t be choosers. bring on Booze!
Anyone up for a game of miniature lawn darts? We can use Bucky’s new jewelery.
Last comment was from me. Sorry. Must be the scotch.
well the store only had Jell-O jiggler bell ‘cookie’ cutters and I had to buy 6 boxes of Jell-O to get it. It will have to work, i’m on a time crunch here.
But they did have the toffee bits, so that’s a plus.
mainlinemom, eating and decorating are two of my very favorite things. Good work!
jana, I got you in email on this one. Hope the the recipes work!
william, some day I’ll do a photographic tutorial for you here.
lisa, welcome, and yum 🙂
newKristine, I’m so glad you de-lurked! And I will absolutely make those. I love shortbread. Just ask my waistband.
bucky, yes, I saw that you got it up. :0
operagal, thank you so much. That was the sweetest Christmas gift ever. I felt like a school girl whose boyfriend had dedicated a love song to her on the radio. (Unless that sounds too weird, and then I didn’t feel a bit like that.)
newKristine, I love those breakfast casseroles. I have a couple of recipes, but none with cornflakes. Sounds good.
shari, glad you made it back from over the river and through the woods, etc. Hugs to you and yours.
squirl, well, I can at least vouch for your… reality. mmm, no, I can’t really do that. Never mind. 🙂
bucky, roofies, like “up on the housetop”?
(I used to wonder why they said there was “reindeer paws,” when everyone knows they have hooves.)
william, your comment does not paint a pretty picture. I’m just sayin’…
bucky, yea, we all so admire the work you do with the lepers around the holidays.
kc, thank you for the spirits. I received your card, and your family is beautiful and seriously over-achieving. Dial it back, you’re making the rest of us look bad. (Penguins are slowwwly marching out of here; uncooperative writing muscles.)
operagal, looks that way.
ssnick, sounds great! I’ll be over 🙂
michelle, I visited, don’t know if I commented yet, but I’ll check. You are a wiz with those marshmallows. I didn’t even know such a thing could be done! I enjoyed your whole blog 🙂
kalki, thanks for the levitation. You know, they DO look like Princess Leia. Funny thing is, I saw other variations – – with broken pretzels — where they looked more like reindeer, but I preferred this version. Must have been the braided buns on the sides of their little reindeer heads. May the force be with you.
razz, see, this is where you’re doing it all wrong. You’ve been ignoring “cute,” and maybe even “single,” and going for “nekkid,” haven’t you? Oh, Razz. No, no, no. Prioritize this way: 1)single 2)cute. Nekkid, you can facilitate; the other two, either he’s got it or he don’t. You know’m sayin’?
drunkenWilliam, I may never forgive you for the image you’ve just created.
jana, that is crazy-talk. Good for you.
single’s obviously always my number one priority, so worry not there. cute’s subjective, and my last guyfriend grew cuter and cuter to me the longer i knew him. nekkid…well, that’s when the party gets started! 😉 i think i’ll leave it as my second priority, particularly at this party. 😉 Merry Christmas!
I swear I am always late to the party. Dr. John and I are going to be in Santa Barbara for Christmas, leaving Christmas Eve day.
The family is coming tonight for an early Christmas dinner. Therefore, I will be cooking a Rib-Eye-Roast and cleaning house, there is always that cleaning house thing.
I put lights on my nine foot Norfolk Island Pine this year for the tree. I haven’t been able to find time to bake cookies, but did bake two pumpkin pies for tonight. I should bake a cake for Ben’s birthday, but might just buy one. Ben turn’s 24 on December 22nd.
I was late getting Christmas cards out, but did get most of them sent.
The kids are getting all the same thing this year, it is always the right size and color, (money). Therefore, the shopping I have done is for Avery and for our great 3 month old niece, Lukia.
We return home on the 30th and then New Years Eve, we have our annual party with about 50 people at our house. I can get as drunk as I want since I will already be home.
In January I plan on spending at least two weeks in Phoenix, since Shawna doesn’t go back to school until January 20th.
Then will begin baby watch, as baby boy number 2 is due in March.
Oh wait, this is a Christmas Party, (not a this is your life, Nina party) as everyone is moves to another part of the room. At least the alcohol is over here.
I doubt I will get a Christmas post posted, but hope to have time to put up some photos from the party tonight.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you who made it though this comment.
I just have to share this recipe… http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Covered-Cherry-Cookies-II/Detail.aspx
I spent the entire day baking, all new recipes. This one wins the prize. The icing goes on before baking, I altered the recipe just a little. I put some icing in the hole before I put the cherry in, then put icing on top as it’s shown in the phots… these are AWESOME if you love chocolate and cherries! A virtual oral orgasm! Next time I’m going to add a touch of Amaretto to the icing…
Merry Christmas one and all!
Those reindeer are too cute! We’re experimenting with chocolate mint biscotti topped with melted white chocolate. I’ll probably post pictures and recipe later today.
I had to lock down my blog. I don’t have your email to add you as a reader. If you drop me a note at sassyfemme@gmail.com I can add you.
I’m going to try those reindeer. 🙂 Thanks!
Merry Christmas!!
Ok, those reindeer are super cute. AND yummy!
Once again due to my inability to focus on any task or remember any event I totally missed the Cookie Exchange even though I meant to join in the fun. Now it is a week later and, um, der….
Anyhoo! Those candied apples look FABULOUS! I’m going to make them next year as gifts. Well, probably. I was thinking I could maybe make them for less $ but probably not. I’ll try. This year I made hot chocolate mixes in quart canning jars. Cute and very easy.
Still haven’t wrapped any gifts yet, though.
Big hugs to you!
I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the cookie party this year. I experienced a sharp pang of regret when I realized I’d missed it — then I promptly got all kinds of busy again. For the past week I’ve been “sharing” internet access with my husband, whose need is great. When I get back on my own computer, I’ll return to posting and commenting.